Raised on a family farm in Northwestern Missouri, I became a singer, college administrator, corporate manager, educator, and author. My first poem was published in a statewide anthology when I was in high school. I am a former member of the Board for the Story Circle Network, a group of women dedicated to women telling their stories. I have a Ph.D from The Ohio State University and a B.A. and M.A. from the University of Rhode Island. Currently, I teach high school English and Spanish, sing, write and raise horses in the Panhandle of Texas. My memoir in poetry "On the Rim of Wonder", was published in April 2014 by Uno Mundo Press. Watch for book three, "You're Gonna Eat That!? Adventures with Food, Family, and Friends", later in 2019.